Mercerization of yarns in hank form



Nov. 11 1924.

J. F. COPLEY MERCERIZATION 0F YARNS IN HANK FORM Filed Feb. 25 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet l wkwQENQwW Nov. 11 1924. 1,514,333

J. F. COPLEY MERCERIZATION OF YARNS IN HANK FORM Filed Feb. 25 1922 3 Sheets-sheaf. 2

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J. F. COPLEY MERCERIZATION OF YARNS IN HANK FORM Filed Feb. 25, L922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 n -"u" ......,,,g

Patented Nov. ll, 1924-.

UNETED STATES JAMES FREDERICK COPLEY, OF THONGSBRIDGE, NEAR HUDDERSFIELD, ENGLAND.

MERCERIZATION 0F YARNS IN HANK FORM.

Application filed February 25, 1922. Serial No. 539,155.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAIiIES FREDERICK COPLEY, a subject of King George V of Great Britain, residing at Thongsbridge, near Huddersfield, in the county of York, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in or Relating to the Mercerization of Yarns in Hank Form, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the inercerization of yarns in hank form.

For the successful mercerization of yarns two things are necessary, namely a coinplete saturation of the yarn with the inercerizing agent and a subsequent stretching of the yarn prior to and during the washing-elf process.

The requisite stretching of the banks is provided for by my invention in a novel manner, as will be hereinafter described.

It is also desirable that means should be provided for dealing with hanks of varying lengths, and my improvements include means to this end.

According to my invention, the hanks to be treated are extended between pairs of rods or bobbins carried by and permanently attached to an endless chain or chains.

I provide suitable means to cause the chain or chains and the hanks carried thereby, to be traversed through a tank containing a mercerizing agent, and subsequently through a washing-0E tank or, preferably, through a series of washing-015' tanks. V

To ensure even mercerization of the hanks, I arrange for them to, be turned, or their positions on their supporting rods or bobbins to be changed, whilst they are submerged in the mercerizing agent, and in order that the washing-oft may be efliciently performed I arrange for the hanks to be turned, or have their positions changed, during their traverse through the washingoff tanks also.

The above and other features of my invention will be more fully described with the aid of the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation, in more or less diagrammatic torm, of a hank mercerizing machine embodying and constructed accord ing to my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the machine, looking in the direction of the arrow Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 shows a portion of the chain, with its permanently attached bobbins, by which the hanks are carried and traversed through the machine.

Fig. 4 1s a side view, drawn to a larger scale, and showinga set of three wheels 7:,

Z, and m, and a portion of the meroerizing I tank h. The shafts of the said wheels are shown in section, also the spindles 0, and the hanks of yarn and some of the sprocket wheels 7 are indicated in dotted lines.

Referring to the drawing, the chain orevery fourth link, has a central boss 6" through which is an opening 5 and through the openings of the appropriate links there are passed rods or spindles such as 0. Each rod or spindle carries, on each side of the link, arotatable bobbin (Z, the bobbins being confined on the spindles by pins such as e or by other suitable means. The end portions of the rods 0 form bearings upon which the said bobbins d or supports for the hanks of yarn are journaled. Each bobbin d is formed with or has attached to it a sprocket-wheel f, the purpose of which is fully described later. The hanks g, as indicated in Fig. 3 in dotted lines, are extended between adjacent pairs of bobbins, and the distance between each adjacent pair of bobbins when the intervening links are fully extended is somewhat greater than the normal length of the hank carried thereby, so that it a pull be exerted on the chain with hanks applied, the strain between. a spindle 0 and that at the other end of a hank will be borne by the hank and not by the intermediate chain links.

A pair of chains arranged side by side or in parallel relation may be employed, and the rods 0 be passed through openings in the bosses of both chains so as to project outwardly beyond each chain, the bobbins being mounted on the projecting ends. Such an arrangement would tend to keep the bobbins more rigidly parallel.

In the machine illustrated, two hank-carrying chains are employed side by side, to carry two sets of hanks. It is obvious that one chain only, or more than two chains may be employed.

In the machine illustrated, a tank It contains mercerizing agent and two washing off tanks 2' and are arranged in line behind 1t.

Thechains, carrying the hanks as previ- V ously described are caused to pass over driving wheels 7c and carrier wheels Z above the tanks and under carrier wheels at dipping into the liquid in thegtanks. The Wheels k, Z and m are suitably recessed at intervals to accommodatethe bosses b of the chains.

The shafts of the driving wheels 7;? carry, inthe instance shown, worm wheels at which mesh With worms 0 mounted on a longitudinal shaft p to which motion is conveyed in suitable manner, as for instance by gearing g from a shaft 7" having upon it fast and loose pulleys s and 25. A hand wheel r is provided on the shaft to enable the shaft to be rotated by hand when desired. Obviously, if preferred or found necessary, the drive may be duplicated at the other ends of the shafts of the driving wheels 7;.

As shown in Fig. 1, driving wheels are preferably provided atthe leading-in end of the mercerizing sectionof the machine which is indicated by the bracket B, at the leading-out end 'of such section between same and the first washing-off section indicated by bracket C, at the end of suchfirst Washing-off section between same and the second washing-off section indicated by positions on the rods or bobbins by which they are carried, so that the portions which havebeen in contact with the rods or bobbins will be moved away therefrom and thus subjected or exposed more fully to the action of the mercerizing agent. To this end I provide each rod or bobbin with a sprocket wheel f, as before mentioned, and I dispose in the merceriZing-bath chains such as u with which the teeth of the sprockets engage as the chains are, traversed through the bath. The chains a are flexible and adapt themselves to irregularities in the po sitions of the chains on the various sprocket wheelsm in the various tanks, and as they are placed below the wheels they do not have to be removed in order to remove the sprockct wheels and chains and other parts connected to them from the tanks when necessary to do so. The chains a are so disposed as to turn both supporting bobbins of a hank simultaneously so as to minimize likelihood of the bobbins slipping around without turning the hanks. 'he surfaces of the rods or bobbins may be corrugated, and the chains with which the sprocket wheels engage as above mentioned may be made endless and given atraversing 'motion'by any convenient means.

In place of wheels in the wash tanks I may employ cylinders preferably corrugated or perforated in which case the hanks will be kept to and carried around the peripheries of the cylinders.

In order to accommodate hanks of varying lengths or to enable the amount of tension put upon the hanks during their traverse through the machine to be varied, various alternative means may be used, either singiy or in combination.

In the first place I may vary the general tightness of the traversing chains between the feeding and delivery ends of the machine, or I may make the longitudinal driving shaft p in sections and connect such sections by suitable couplings o, so that by disconnecting the appropriate coupl ng and rotatingthe appropriate driving wheel or wheels preferably by hand the desired degree of tightness in the particular section concerned may he obtained. I may also vary the length of path of the chains in any section by adjustment of the position or positions of one or more of the wheels, preferably the carrier wheels, around which the chains pass in that section. I

In another arrangement the rods or spindles carrying the bobbins on which the hanks are slung, may be fixed eccentrically in circular blocks carried by the chain, and the positions of theseblocks be adjusted by a partial rotation of same to give the required tension. In this instance the blocks would be held in their adjusted positions by catches, arranged to engage notches or recesses in the peripheries of the blocks.

Another method, though not a desirable one, would be to so mount the driving wheels that their vertical positions could be ad justed as requisite. Finally, an adjustable jockey pulley or pulleys around which the chains are passed may be employed, whilst obviously bobbins c of larger or smaller diameter may be-employed. I

What ever method of adjustment is adopted, the arrangement is such, that during the straight traverse of the chains from one driving or carrying wheel to the next, the portions of chain between each pair of bobbins or'rods is slack and the strain or pull is borne by the hanks, as previously described.

Ghains w similarv to the chain a in the mercerizing section, are also preferably provided in the'first washing-off sectiontoturn the hanks on their bobbins and ensure efficient removal of the mercerizing agent. The second, or the succeeding washingmif bathsif more than two are employed, may

besimilarly provided with means toturn the hanks.

At the feeding end of the machine the chains are caused to pass around wheels such as as of relatively small diameter, to en able the hanks to be placed in position on the bobbins or rods. Similar small diameter wheels y, are provided at the delivery end of the machine to enable the hanks to be re moved, and suitable overhead carrier wheels .2 are provided to return the chains to the front end of the machine.

A spray or sprays may be employed to spray washing-off liquid on to the hanks before they enter or as they leave a Washingo'lf bath, suitable catch plates being provided to prevent such. sprayed washing-off liquid from entering the mercerizing tank.

In addition to the provision of the small diameter wheels 70 and 3 to facilitate the placing of hanks in position on the bobbins or rods and their removal therefrom, means may also be provided to cause the chains to dwell at these points.

The details of construction and arrangement of the parts constituting the improvements may be varied.

Having thus described my invention, What- I claim as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a mercerizing machine, a drive chain formed of links pivoted together at their ends, rods secured to the middle parts of certain of the links and projecting late ally of the chain, supports for hanks of yarn journaled on the projecting end portions of the said pins and arranged in pairs, and upper and lower wheels engaging with the drive chain, each pair of supports being spaced at a greater distance apart than the normal length of the hank supported by them, whereby the tension on the chain is relieved while passing between the upper and lower wheels and is transferred to the hanks.

2. In a mercerizing machine, a tank for liquid, a drive chain, supports for hanks of yarn carried by the drive chain and arranged in pairs, upper and lower wheels engaging with the drive chain and operating to pass the said supports through the tank, each pair of supports being spaced at a greater distance apart than the normal length of the hank supported by it, whereby the tension on the intervening portion of the drive chain is relieved while passing between the upper and lower wheels and is transferred to the hanks, and means for revolving the said supports, while passing through the tank.

3. A. mercerizing machine as set forth in claim 2, the said means for revolving the supports comprising sprocket wheels secured to the said supports, and a flexible chain arranged in the path of the teeth of the sprocket wheels and below them in the tank.

t. In a mercerizing machine, a drive chain, rods having their middle parts mounted in the drive chain, supports for hanks of yarn ournaled on the end portions of the said rods, and upper and lower wheels engaging with the drive chain, each two adjacent supports being spaced at a greater distance apart than the normal length of the hanks supported by them, whereby the tension on the chain is relieved while passing between the upper and lower wheels and is transferred to the hanks.

5. In a mercerizing machine, a tank for liquid, a drive chain, revoluble supports for hanks of yarn carried by the drive chain, upper and lower wheels engaging with the drive chain and operating to pass the supports through the tank, and means for revolving the said supports while passing through the tank.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES FREDERICK COPLEY. 

